Aircraft archway

ABSTRACT

An architectural archway for an aircraft. The archways can be positioned individually, or in pairs or other sets along the length of an aircraft fuselage. The archways are used to run or connect various transport elements, such as electrical wiring, water lines, and environmental control system conduits, between the upper crown, lower bay and passenger cabin of the aircraft. The invention simplifies installation complexity and eliminates the installation and variability associated with running transport elements between the various sections of the aircraft.

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/688,624 filed on Oct. 17, 2003 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,252,267.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to architectural structures for aircraftand more particularly to improved structures, cabin furnishing,accessories and auxiliary equipment for aircraft.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The interior configuration and architecture of aircraft have becomerelatively standardized today. The arrangements of the passenger seats,bulkheads, lavatories, serving areas, and crew spaces have beendeveloped for convenience and accommodation of both passengers and crew.The passenger compartments are typically divided into two or moresections with bulkheads and lavatories being positioned accordingly.Aisles and passageway spaces are left between sets of seats and at theaccess doors.

The support lines and conduits for the accessory and auxiliary systems,such as conditioned air, water, hydraulics and electrical systems, aretypically positioned in the lower bay below the passenger compartment(cabin) or in the crown or space above the passenger cabin. For some ofthese accessory systems, such as conditioned air and electrical systems,the wires and lines are passed between the lower bay and crown, orbetween one of those areas and the passenger cabins through thesidewalls or support members adjacent the exterior of the aircraft.

The installation, repair, and modification of the accessory andauxiliary systems, as well as the cabin furnishings, is a considerableexpense to aircraft owners and users. There is a need for improvedinterior systems and for more efficient design and use of cabinfurnishings and associated systems.

Often, the design and installation of cabin furnishing and auxiliarysystems result in modification to the system transport elements, such aselectrical wiring, fluid lines, and environmental control system ducts,which result in an increased cost and lead time for delivery of thedesired aircraft. The problem is amplified for those transport systemsthat pass between the crown and lower bay of the aircraft since this mayresult in the loss of windows and sidewalls or longer than desired runsto fixed monuments at bulkheads.

There is a need in the aircraft industry for improved, more efficient,less complex, and less costly configurations for cabin furnishings andassociated auxiliary systems in order to obviate the afore-mentionedproblems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, one or more arch-type members(“archways”) are positioned in the cabin of the aircraft. The archwayspreferably are inverted generally “U-shaped” structures which extendalong the inside surfaces of the passenger cabins and have hollowinteriors for placement and passage of electrical wires, airconditioning ducts, water lines and the like. The archways are placed atstable locations within the cabin, such as at fixed door locations, sothat they will reduce potential impact on seat configurations. Thearchways provide a path or raceway for the system transport elementsparticularly between the crown and lower bays of the aircraft.

The archways also can be positioned at architectural points of interestin the aircraft to help define and establish cabin proportions and alsoprovide logical locations for passage of auxiliary system components.Placement of the archways at door locations provides a passage to runsystems at each doorway without interfering with structuralintercoastals located between framed bays at the door locations. Thearchways allow penetration through the floor of the cabin which can bestandardized, reducing the variation in floor panel design. In addition,the archways can serve as receptacles for lavatory and gallerymonuments, further reducing the complexity associated with integratingthose elements into the interior of the aircraft. The archways furthercan eliminate the need for design close-out seals for outboardmonuments.

The present invention simplifies the installation complexity andeliminates the installation variability associated with installing andrunning transport elements between the crown and lower bays of theaircraft.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an aircraft in which the present invention can beutilized.

FIG. 2 is a cross-section through the aircraft as shown in FIG. 1 anddepicting use of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an aircraft cabin interior, illustratingthe use of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the use of a plurality ofarchways in an aircraft in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 5 depicts the use of a pair of inventive archways at an exteriordoor to the passenger compartment.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the archways as shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a cross-section of an alternate embodiment of an archway inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross-section of still another alternate embodiment of anarchway in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates use of the present invention for lavatories and otheraccessory systems.

FIG. 10 depicts a cross-section of still another alternate embodiment ofan archway in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Efficient interior configuration and modification of airplanes and otheraircraft is of value to airline companies and customers by reducing thecosts associated with designing and installing cabin furnishings andauxiliary and support systems. Often, these activities will result inmodifications to system transport elements, such as electrical wiring,water lines, or environment control system ducts resulting in increasedcosts and lead time for delivery of the desired aircraft. This problemis amplified for those transport elements that must run or be passedbetween the airplane crown and the lower lobe or bay, since currentdesign practices result in loss of windows in the sidewalls, or longerthan desired runs to fixed monuments at the fore or aft bulkheads.

The complexity and costs associated with providing for system runsbetween the crown and lower bays of airplanes and other aircraft has asignificant impact on interior architecture, interior flexibility, bodystructure at doorways and manufacturing installation time. The presentinvention simplifies the installation complexity and eliminates theinstallation variability associated with running transport elementsbetween the crown and lower bay areas.

In particular, the present invention uses architectural arches orarchways at one or more locations along the length of the aircraft. Thearchways provide raceways or passageways for system transport elements,particularly for those which need to be passed from the crown to thelower bay of the aircraft. The archways also can be placed at stablelocations within the fuselage or cabin of the aircraft, such as at fixeddoor locations which reduce the potential impact on seat configurationand provide improved cabin configurations.

Archways located on either side of a doorway will enable a number ofdifferent functions, such as architectural delineation of cabin volumesthat are properly proportioned, and enclosure of system transportelements, including, but not limited to, electrical power and signal,water and conditioned air. The architectural archways also canincorporate a stable floor coupling in order to pass system transportingelements through the floor while meeting existing requirements for floorpenetrations.

The inventive archways further will provide accommodation for items,including, but not limited to, system control panels, lavatories,emergency equipment and flight attendant seats. When properly sized andconfigured, the archways will have the ability to provide forretractable features or otherwise hide these elements within the archwaywhen not in use.

With the present invention, an altered method for interior cabinlighting via recessed task lighting can result, particularly through theuse of luminescent cover panels or wash lighting from within thearchways. The present invention will also provide a way to moreefficiently create and control air temperature zones within the cabin byusing an archway located air curtain to prevent air draft from movingfore and aft between cabins.

The present invention further can reduce the impact of externaltemperature extremes on cabin interior temperatures while in theboarding or deplaning processes.

With the present invention, various stations or zones within the cabincan be designated where passengers can experience a local enhanced airenvironment contained within a station or zone. This could include localhumidification, increased air mixing, or ionized/purified air.

Finally, the present invention can provide a more integrated look foroutboard lavatories or gallery monuments by designing the archways toaccept the modules without the use of closeout seals or foams. In thisregard, system connections servicing these monuments can be readilyaccessible.

The use of archways located at doorways can serve as a system plenum toconnect the systems that run between the crown of the airplane, thelower lobe or bay, and the main passenger cabin. The archways can assistin defining and establishing cabin proportions and also provide logicallocations for system runs associated with water, power, and conditionedair. The placement at door locations provides a way to run systems ateach doorway without having to interfere with the structuralintercoastals located between frame bays typically positioned at doorlocations.

With the present invention, the penetration through the floor can bestandardized which will reduce the variation in floor panel designs.

If the archways are used for lavatory and galley monuments, this canreduce the complexity associated with integrating these elements intothe interior, as well as eliminating the need for designed closeoutseals for outboard monuments.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an airplane or aircraft in which thepresent invention can be utilized. The airplane is referred to generallyby the reference numeral 20.

FIG. 2 is a representative cross-section 2-2 taken at a location alongthe length of the fuselage or cabin of the airplane 20. As indicated,the aircraft includes a main passenger cabin 24, an upper crown area 26and a lower lobe or bay 28, all positioned with an outer skin orexterior 30 of the airplane. The lower bay 28 typically is utilized fortransporting luggage and other material The passenger cabin orcompartment 24 includes a number of passenger seats 32 which arepositioned on a floor member 34 that extends across the width of theairplane 20. Also, as conventional in airplanes today, a number ofluggage or storage bins 36A, 36B, and 36C are provided on the upperportion of the passenger cabin 24.

An architectural arch or archway 40 is shown in its representativeposition within the airplane 20. The archway has a semi-circular orcurved configuration as shown and is attached to the floor member 34 atits two lower ends 40A and 40B. The archway can be attached to the floormember in any conventional manner. The archway 40 preferably has aV-shaped cross-section as shown in FIG. 6. Although a V-shapedcross-section is preferred, it is also possible within the scope of thepresent invention for the archway 40 to have other cross-sectional sizesand shapes. For example, the archway 140, as shown in FIG. 8, has anexpanded U-shaped cross-sectional configuration and shape, while thearchway 240 as shown in FIG. 10 has a semi-circular or curvedcross-sectional shape and configuration.

As shown in FIG. 2, an aircraft, such as airplane 20, has a number ofcontrol, auxiliary and support systems which have wires and conduitswhich need to be passed or run along the length of the aircraft and tobe utilized at various positions along the length of the aircraft. Theselines and conduits also need to be passed at some locations between thecrown and lower bay areas of the aircraft. The conduits for thesesystems are shown in FIG. 2 and are represented generally by referencenumerals 42, 44, 46, 48, and 50. The conduits and systems mentioned andshown are only representative of the known and conventional systems usedin aircraft today, such as electrical wiring, control wiring, waterlines, air ducts, environment control system ducts, etc.

With the configuration shown, the system wires and conduits 42, 44, and46 are positioned in the upper portion or crown 26 of the fuselage ofthe aircraft. In addition, other systems and conduits, such as 48 and 50shown in FIG. 2, are positioned in the lower lobe or bay of theaircraft. In order to utilize these systems, the archways 40 of thepresent invention allow or act as passageways or chaseways for theelectrical lines and other conduits, such as 42A, 44A, and 46A, 48A and50A. As shown in the cross-sectional view in FIG. 6, the conduits arepositioned in the interior open space of the archway 40. Some of thesesame conduits and wires are also shown in FIGS. 8 and 10.

In accordance with the present invention, it is also possible to haveone or more of the conduits or ducts be molded or provided as part ofthe archway itself. This is shown in FIG. 7, where archway 40′ has across member 54 which forms an enclosed plenum or chamber 56. It is alsoto be understood, of course, that any number of interior conduits andplenums can be provided in the archways in accordance with the presentinvention and thus the invention is not limited to a structure having atleast one plenum or any number thereof.

It is to be understood that the various cross-sectional sizes and shapesof the archways 40, 140, and 240 are only illustrative of the variouscross-sectional sizes and shapes of archways that can be utilized inaccordance with the present invention. Thus, the present invention isnot limited to any particular size or shape of cross-section.

It is also possible to provide more than one integral or “built-in”conduit or passageway in the archway. Also, the integral conduits orpassageways do not have to extend the full length of the archway, butcan be positioned only in one or more portions thereof, such as in theportions which are positioned along the inner sides of the aircraftfuselage. It is further possible to provide one or more archways for theaircraft which are not hollow at all, or are only hollow along portionsthereof.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, pairs ofarches or archways 40 can be positioned at various locations along thelength of the aircraft or airplane. This is shown in FIGS. 3-5. First,as shown in FIG. 4, two sets A, B of pairs of archways 40 are shownlocated at two positions in the fuselage of airplane 120. An interiorview of the fuselage 60 in the direction of the length of the fuselageis shown in FIG. 3. The archways 40 are used to separate the fuselageinto various cabins C1, C2, and C3 along the length of the airplane.

A side elevational view illustrating one of the pairs of archways 40A isshown in FIG. 5. The pair of archways 40A are also used to frame a doormember 62. In this regard, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, various petitions64 and 66 can be positioned in or adjacent to the archways 40, 40A inorder to assist in separating the interior cabins, such as C1, C2 andC3, from one another.

It is to be understood in accordance with the present invention, thatany number of archways can be provided along the length of the fuselageof an airplane or aircraft. It is also understood that any number ofpairs or sets of archways can be provided at various locations along thelength of the aircraft.

As shown in FIG. 9, archways in accordance with the present inventioncan also be used to house or accommodate various accessories orauxiliary systems which are common in passenger airplanes today. In thisregard, archways 80 and 82 are used to frame or flank a door member 62′at a location along the length of the airplane. Archway 80 issufficiently wide to incorporate a lavatory 90, while archway 82 has asize sufficient to incorporate a jump seat 92 for one of the flightattendants. Also, as shown in FIG. 9, an archway can be modified toincorporate various other items and systems, such as telephone 94 andelectronic controls 96 for other systems on the airplane.

While the invention has been described in connection with one or moreembodiments, it is to be understood that the specific mechanisms,processes and procedures which have been described are merelyillustrative of the principles of the invention, numerous modificationsmay be made to the methods and apparatus described without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appendedclaims.

1. An architectural archway for an aircraft having an elongated fuselagewith an upper crown portion, a floor member and a lower lobe portion,said archway comprising an inverted arcuate structure with two spacedapart end members and a lavatory positioned in said arcuate structureadjacent one of said end members, said structure adapted to fit insidethe fuselage and being positioned on the floor member with said endmembers positioned on the floor member on opposite sides of thefuselage, wherein said structure is hollow and is adapted to run systemcomponents between said upper crown portion and said lower lobe portion,the system components comprising at least one member selected from thegroup consisting of electrical wires, water lines and conditioned airducts.
 2. The architectural archway for an aircraft as described inclaim 1 wherein said archway has a cross-sectional shape selected fromthe group comprising V-shaped, U-shaped and semi-circular shaped.
 3. Thearchitectural archway for an aircraft as described in claim 1 furthercomprising at least one integral passageway in said archway structurefor passage of a system component of the aircraft.
 4. The architecturalarchway for an aircraft as described in claim 1 further comprising aflight attendant seat member positioned in said archway structure.
 5. Apair of architectural archways for an aircraft having an elongatedfuselage with a door member, an upper crown portion, a floor member anda lower lobe portion, each of said archways comprising an invertedcurved structure with a curved central portion and two spaced apart legmembers, each of said leg members having an end member adapted to bepositioned on the floor member, said pair of archways adapted to bepositioned in the aircraft adjacent to and framing a door member,wherein each of said archways is hollow and is adapted to run systemcomponents of the aircraft between said upper crown portion and saidlower lobe portion, the system components comprising at least one memberselected from the group consisting of electrical wires, water lines andconditioned air ducts, wherein at least one of said pair of archwaystructures has a lavatory in it.
 6. The pair of architectural archwaysas described in claim 5 wherein said end members of each of saidarchways are adapted to be positioned on the floor member on oppositesides of the fuselage.
 7. The pair of architectural archways asdescribed in claim 5 wherein each of said archways has a cross-sectionalshape selected from the group comprising V-shaped, U-shaped andsemi-circular shaped.
 8. The pair of architectural archways as describedin claim 5 wherein at least one of said pair of archway structures has aflight attendant seat member in it.
 9. An aircraft having a fuselage forcarrying passengers, said fuselage having an upper crown portion, alower lobe portion, a passenger portion, a floor member in saidpassenger portion, at least one door member in said passenger portion,and at least one component from an aircraft support system, comprisingat least one archway member positioned in said passenger portion of saidfuselage, said archway member having an inverted curved configurationwith a curved central portion and two curved end portions, each of saidcurved end portions having an end member positioned on said floormember, wherein said aircraft has a plurality of support systemcomponents positioned in said upper crown portion and said lower lobeportion, wherein said archway member has an internal hollow portion forpositioning and passage of said component from said aircraft supportsystem, and wherein at least a portion of said support system componentsare also positioned in said archway member, and a lavatory positioned inat least one curved end portion of said archway member.
 10. The aircraftas described in claim 9 wherein said archway member has across-sectional shape selected from the group comprising V-shaped,U-shaped and semi-circular shaped.
 11. The aircraft as described inclaim 9 wherein said aircraft has a plurality of support systemcomponents positioned in said crown portion and said lower lobe portionand wherein at least a portion of said support system components arepassed between said upper crown portion and said lower lobe portionthrough said archway member.
 12. The aircraft as described in claim 9wherein a pair of said archway members are positioned closely adjacenteach other in said passenger portion and positioned adjacent to saiddoor member.
 13. The aircraft as described in claim 12 wherein said pairof archway members are positioned on either side of said door member.14. The aircraft as described in claim 9 wherein at least two sets ofarchway members are positioned in said passenger portion, each setcomprising a pair of archway members positioned closely adjacent eachother.
 15. The aircraft as described in claim 9 wherein said archwaymember is utilized as a divider to separate said passenger portion intotwo separate sections.
 16. The aircraft as described in claim 9 whereinsaid archway member is utilized as a divider to separate said passengerportion from at least one flight service portion.
 17. The aircraft asdescribed in claim 9 wherein said archway member has at least oneintegral passageway for positioning of said component.
 18. The aircraftas described in claim 9 further comprising a seat member positioned inat least one curved end portion of said archway member.
 19. The aircraftas described in claim 9 wherein said aircraft has a plurality of supportsystem components positioned in said crown portion and said lower lobeportion, and wherein at least a portion of said support systemcomponents are passed from said upper crown portion and into saidpassenger portion through said archway member.
 20. The aircraft asdescribed in claim 9 wherein said aircraft has a plurality of supportsystem components positioned in said crown portion and said lower lobeportion, and wherein at least a portion of said support systemcomponents are passed from said lower lobe portion and into saidpassenger portion through said archway member.
 21. The aircraft asdescribed in claim 9 wherein said aircraft has a plurality of supportsystem components positioned in said crown portion and said lower lobeportion, and wherein at least a portion of said support systemcomponents are passed between said upper crown portion and said lowerlobe portion through said archway member.
 22. The aircraft as describedin claim 9 wherein said support system is at least one member selectedfrom the group consisting of an electrical system, a water system and aconditioned air system.
 23. An architectural archway for an aircrafthaving an elongated fuselage with an upper crown portion, a floor memberand a lower lobe portion, said archway comprising an arch-like structurewith two spaced apart end members, said structure adapted to fit insidethe fuselage and be positioned on the floor member with said end memberspositioned on the floor member on opposite sides of the fuselage, atleast one integral passageway in said archway structure for passage of asystem component of the aircraft, and a lavatory positioned in saidarchway structure adjacent one of said end members.
 24. Thearchitectural archway for an aircraft as described in claim 23 whereinsaid archway is hollow and is adapted to run system components betweensaid upper crown portion and said lower lobe portion, the systemcomponents comprising at least one member selected from the groupconsisting of electrical wires, water lines and conditioned air ducts.25. The architectural archway for an aircraft as described in claim 23wherein said archway has a cross-sectional shape selected from the groupcomprising V-shaped, U-shaped and semi-circular shaped.
 26. Thearchitectural archway for an aircraft as described in claim 23 furthercomprising a flight attendant seat member positioned in said archwaystructure.